Gravity Wave Variance in LIMS Temperatures. Part I: Variability and Comparison with Background Winds

Abstract

Small-scale features in temperature data from the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere satellite experiment are isolated by subtracting profiles of globally mapped temperatures (containing zonal waves 0?6) from inverted temperature profiles. These features are interpreted as internal gravity waves. The preponderance of the variance is associated with the longest wavelengths, corresponding to the lowest frequencies (inertio-gravity waves). The data include approximately 2000 daily soundings between late October 1978 and late May 1979, all longitudes, latitudes from about 65°S to 85°N, and altitudes from the tropopause to the middle mesosphere (pressures from 100 to 0.1 mb). Zonal-mean gravity wave variance is compared with background winds, and variance maps are presented for five one-week periods: early November, early January, early February, late March, and early May. Time-height plots of zonal mean wave variance and background winds in the latitude bands 45°?55°S, 5°S?5°N, and 45°?55°N are also presented. Variance ranges from about 2.0 K2 in the northern late spring lower stratosphere to about 315 K2 in the northern late fall mesosphere. The Northern Hemisphere gravity wave variance field undergoes an approximate twofold increase between fall and early winter, but the maximum remains quasi-stationary; during the same period the mesospheric jet moves by several thousand kilometers. The Northern Hemisphere gravity wave field is strongly distorted by the late January minor warming, and decreases gradually between early March and late May. The tropical gravity wave variance is approximately constant with time below 40 km, but shows an increasingly strong semiannual signal above 40 km. The tropical maximum extends through January and February but is confined in altitude near 60 km. Southern Hemisphere variance decreases toward a broad minimum in January and February, but climbs rapidly after the autumnal equinox. The gravity wave variance fields during autumn in the two hemispheres are compared and seen to be quite similar, while large interhemispheric differences exist during spring. Background winds in the autumn hemispheres are also similar, while spring winds are different.